Nothing At All
by Verdot
Summary: Foundation Series When Itsuki went to college, they walked. The truce of those left behind. Isshiki, Helena


The last thing Helena needed to be thinking about was a couple of stupid boys.

She had to be, no she was, she was better than them. She had called them babies when they huddled under Isshiki's blanket during thunderstorms, and she had tried to exorcise the demon they later dug up.

It was a good thing that she should be distinctly separate from the two of them. Especially now that she'd been told there was not a spot for her as an Instrumentalist, but that she was there for other purposes... no, she was better than them.

They joked around when they should have been serious, and they had put a frog in her bed and they _went to a strip club_. It was like they weren't even trying anymore.

Isshiki and Itsuki were like separate halves of a cancer. A tumor. Why didn't anyone else see that? Why even despite punishment on Isshiki's part and cold reminders on Itsuki's were they even permitted to be a part of the Foundation at all?

But there was a sort of satisfaction that they were being split up now. Itsuki had been good enough to be permitted to study music, to be useful as a failed Instrumentalist, at least. Isshiki would probably stick around and stir up trouble.

"So what is the princess doing outside of her glass palace?"

She should have known he'd be lurking around. "Aren't you supposed to be fixing uniforms, D?"

He rolled his eyes and continued to block her path. "I'm bored."

"And what am I supposed to do about that?"

If she were a normal girl, she might have acted like a lot of women did around Makoto Isshiki. Slightly fearful, but not fearful enough to not want to be around him. For someone so worthless, he was good at drawing the attention in a room.

It was probably good that he didn't know that. And that she was above such magnetism.

"I don't know."

"Then you're wasting my time."

"Walk with me." He had far too much command in his voice for what he was. But for some reason, she felt like doing just that. Walking. Not obeying what was on the edge of an order, but letting their wills go in the same direction.

They were quiet, mostly. Helena had never had much to say to Isshiki and he never had much to say to her. She could feel it, though, coming off of him. Helena might not have felt much herself, a fact she prided herself on, but she had always known when something was off about either of them. Because if you knew one, you knew the other.

And Itsuki had sometimes talked to her, when he wasn't following Isshiki around on whatever adventure he was leading. She'd even had some kind of conversation with the D himself once, but he didn't likely remember it.

"You miss him."

He almost seemed startled. "So you aren't entirely blind."

Nighttime on the compound was what made her want to do witchcraft when she was a child. She couldn't control the shadows and all her spells proved unsuccessful. So she threw it away.

"He's in a more suitable place."

"I wasn't arguing that."

She was foolish when she was younger. A tagalong. _Shut up Helena, we don't care._ But part of that still existed and without Itsuki around... no, she was better than that.

And yet. "You just won't fit in, will you?"

Oh, he'd cut his hair and did his work, but there was always that arrogance, and maybe a bit of mischief to him. She wanted to know why, maybe so that her world would keep making sense.

Isshiki was even more pale at night. It made her shiver slightly.

"I'll be just like the rest of them one of these days, Helena. Don't fear."

"I'm not afraid."

He smirked, which was the expression that allowed her to stop looking at him for the moment. Stupid D. Just who did he think he was?

"No, you aren't afraid this time."

They didn't speak after that. Helena was composed, though, and he didn't try to unnerve her. There was no comfort to walking with him, but then, there never would be. If she were allowed comfort, it wouldn't be from a lowly D anyway.

But she'd gotten past it, a good and sensible woman. Uncle's perfect little girl all grown up.

She kept accepting Isshiki's invitations for late night walks, to no where in particular. They rarely talked, but they rarely fought. That little part of her that wanted Itsuki back in her sights wasn't so concerned when Isshiki walked with her.

Not that she would ever tell the D that.


End file.
